Emergency Alerts to Reach More Nova Scotians
The NS Alert app helps fill in gaps in cellular coverage as the Province works on building out capacity for cell service in rural areas with plans for new cell towers across the province.
More Nova Scotians will have access to critical alerts with the new NS Alert app launching today, August 28.
This free alert system works with mobile phones using older 3G networks or Wi-Fi, meaning it can provide emergency alerts in many areas of the province with low cellular coverage. The current national Alert Ready system requires LTE or 5G networks, which are not available in parts of rural Nova Scotia.
“We’re experiencing more and more emergency situations in Nova Scotia. The right alert at the right time can make all the difference,” said Kim Masland, Minister of Emergency Management. “NS Alert will be particularly crucial for people living in rural areas, while we continue to work with our partners on the Cellular for Nova Scotia Program.”
The NS Alert app helps fill in gaps in cellular coverage as the Province works on building out capacity for cell service in rural areas with plans for new cell towers across the province.
Nova Scotians can customize the app in several ways:
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type of alert they want to receive
- critical alerts, which notify people about events and disruptions that may impact public safety; these are known as “broadcast-intrusive” alerts, which include an alert tone and message and interrupts use of the phone (the tone may not be heard depending on the phone’s settings)
- advisory alerts, which let people know about things like re-entering an area after an evacuation and road closures; these are similar to notifications users may receive from other apps
- users may choose to receive one or both types of alert
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the communities they want to be notified about
- users can receive alerts for one or more communities, such as where they live and work, where their children go to school or where relatives and friends live; users can receive these alerts anywhere in Canada
- there is also the option to receive alerts based on the device’s location
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language
- NS Alert can issue alerts in English or French, based on the phone’s language settings
- the app can also translate alerts to 32 other languages.
Quotes:
“As Chief Administrative Officer for the Municipality of Shelburne, I applaud the Department of Emergency Management for launching an alerting app that bridges the coverage gaps in the national Alert Ready system. Rural communities like ours often rely on 3G or Wi-Fi, and this upgrade means residents will receive the same life-saving warnings as those in urban areas. Faster, broader alerts give people the critical time they need to act and stay safe.”
— Warren MacLeod, Chief Administrative Officer, Municipality of Shelburne
“With the enhancements to the alerting system, Nova Scotians will be provided with enhanced access to alerts with ease and reliability.”
— Greg Jones, President, Fire Service Association of Nova Scotia
Quick Facts:
- NS Alert is a free download from the Apple App Store and Google Play store
- this helps advance recommendation P. 22 of the Mass Casualty Commission’s final report, relating to public education about public warnings
- people with the NS Alert app installed who are connected to an LTE or 5G network at the time of a broadcast-intrusive alert may receive two alerts for their location – one from NS Alert and another from the national Alert Ready broadcast system; areas not covered by Alert Ready will only receive one alert from NS Alert
- the Province invested $1 million to develop and operate NS Alert with the Alberta-based vendor, Public Emergency Alerting Services Inc.
- the Department of Emergency Management was formed in September 2024, the first provincial department dedicated to emergency management in Canada
Additional Resources:
More information on the NS Alert app: https://novascotia.ca/nsalert
Cellular for Nova Scotia Program: https://internet.buildns.ca/cell
Department of Emergency Management: